Senior System Engineer

SKYTRAC is a leader in transforming aviation communication through cutting‑edge satellite and cellular technologies. Trusted by operators, OEMs, and organizations worldwide, SKYTRAC serves over 800 customers across all aerospace sectors. Our Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite solutions are redefining connectivity and reshaping the future of aviation.

Learn More About What We Do
The Opportunity
As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will lead the system‑level definition and delivery of airborne SATCOM terminals while remaining a hands‑on technical contributor. You will own critical system artifacts, drive key technical decisions, and actively contribute to requirements development, analysis, integration, and verification activities. The successful candidate thrives in a fast‑paced, evolving development environment where accountability, initiative, and execution truly matter.

This role is ideal for an engineer who leads by example through strong technical ownership, is equally comfortable shaping strategy and executing detailed technical work and is willing to dive deep to resolve complex challenges.

This position is based on‑site in our Ottawa, ON office.

Responsibilities
System Leadership & Hands‑On Architecture and System Design

Lead the development of system architectures for airborne SATCOM terminals while directly contributing to technical content

Perform and document system trade studies, analyses, and design decisions

Define and author system operational concepts, modes, redundancy strategies, and failure behavior

Lead and actively participate in technical design reviews

Requirements Ownership & Direct Contribution

Lead and personally develop system‑level requirements and their decomposition to subsystems

Author system requirements specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and compliance matrices

Maintain end‑to‑end requirements traceability and verification mapping

Perform hands‑on impact analysis and support configuration control activities

Integration, Verification & Execution

Lead system integration, verification, and validation activities with direct involvement in planning and execution

Develop system‑level test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria

Participate in lab integration, troubleshooting, and root‑cause analysis of system issues

Support environmental qualification and flight test activities, including hands‑on test execution when required

Certification, Safety & Technical Ownership

Lead systems engineering activities in support of certification (ARP
4754A, DO‑178C, DO‑254, DO‑160)

Personally contribute to safety assessments including FHA, PSSA, and SSA

Act as a hands‑on technical lead in interactions with certification authorities, DERs, and customers

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Delivery

Serve as the systems engineering lead across hardware, software, RF, antenna, mechanical, and production teams

Drive technical alignment while actively contributing to cross‑functional problem solving

Support proposals, customer technical reviews, and product roadmap discussions with hands‑on technical input

Provide systems engineering support during production, aircraft integration, and in‑service operations

What You Bring
Candidate Must Have’s

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

9+ years of systems engineering experience in avionics, aerospace, or satellite communications

Proven experience leading and executing system architecture, requirements, and integration activities

Strong understanding of avionics certification and safety‑critical development

Proficiency in scripting or basic programming (e.g. Python, Bash, MATLAB, or similar)

Experience using scripting to automate tests, analyze system data, or support verification activities

Familiarity with version control systems (e.g. Git) for managing scripts and technical artifacts

Ability to interface with lab equipment, simulators, or embedded systems via scripts or tools

This will make you stand out

Experience with airborne SATCOM systems (Ku‑, Ka‑, or L‑band)

Knowledge of RF systems, antennas, modems, and satellite network architectures

Experience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Jama,…